The effect of cement dosage on mechanical properties of concrete exposed to high temperatures

Although concrete is a non-combustible material, it is found that when exposed to high temperatures, such as fire, the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of concrete can drastically change. Thus, it becomes important to assess the relative properties of concrete under high temperatures in order to evaluate and predict the post-fire response of reinforced concrete (RC) buildings and structures. This paper assesses the effects of elevated temperatures and cement dosages on the mechanical properties of concrete. Two concrete mix designs were considered in this research in an attempt to study the effects of cement dosage (250 and 350 kg/m³) on the post-fire response of concrete. Once cast, the test samples were first exposed to elevated temperatures ranging from 100 to 800 °C, and then allowed to cool down slowly to ambient room temperature of 20 °C before being tested to failure. Several tests were then carried out to determine the mechanical properties of the cooled concrete specimens. The test results indicated that at temperature above 400 °C, concrete undergoes significant strength loss when compared to the strength of non-heated concrete. In addition this strength reduction was found to be unaffected by the cement dosages. The experimental results were also compared with current European standard (BS EN 1992-1-2:2004 standard) strength equations and American Concrete Institute standard (ACI 216.1).     

Effect of high temperature on strength and microstructural properties of cemented paste backfill

The main purpose of this research is to investigate the influence of high temperatures on the strength and microstructure (e.g. pore structure, porosity) of cemented paste backfill (CPB) through a series of experimental tests. A laboratory experimental setup allowing the simulation of various high-temperature conditions is developed. Different types of CPB specimens are exposed to different high temperatures (100, 200, 400 and 600 °C). The strength, porosity, pore size distribution and water absorption of these CPB specimens are then evaluated by laboratory tests. Thermogravimetric and differential thermal analyses are also performed to study the thermal behaviour of the CPBs exposed to high temperatures. The results show that high temperatures have a significant effect on the properties of CPBs. Generally, increasing temperatures up to 200 °C leads to higher strength in most types of CPB studied. The porosity and pore size distribution of the CPBs change only slightly. Above 200 °C, the temperature reduces the strength of the CPBs. The most notable strength decrease takes place at exposure temperatures exceeding 400 °C. The significant decrease of the strength of the CPB is accompanied by a significant change in the microstructure (porosity, pore size distribution, mineral phases). Moreover, the effect of high temperatures on the strength and microstructure of CPBs depends on the water/cement ratio (w/c ratio) and the tailings type.     

Studies on termite hill and lime as partial replacement for cement in plastering

This study investigated the compressive strength and water absorption capacity of 50×50×50 mm mortar cubes made from mixes containing lime, termite hill and cement and sand. Two mix ratios (1:4 and 1:6) and varying binder replacements of cement with lime or termite hill amounting to 0%, 10%, 20%, 30%, 40% and 50% were used. Test results showed that the compressive strength of the mortar cubes increases with age and decreases with increasing percentage replacement of cement with lime and termite hill. However, for mix ratio 1:6, up to 20% replacement of cement with either lime or termite hill, all the mortar cubes had the same strength; subsequently, the termite hill exhibited a higher compressive strength. For mix ratio 1:4, mortar cubes made from lime/cement and termite hill/cement mixtures had the same strength at 50% replacement. Generally, water absorption is higher in mixtures containing lime (18.10% and 14.20% for mix ratios 1:6 and 1:4, respectively, both at 50% replacement level) than those containing termite hill (16.10% and 13.02% for mix ratios 1:6 and 1:4, respectively, both at 50% replacement level). Termite hills seem to be promising as a suitable, locally available housing material for plastering.     

Factors affecting the strength and creep properties of laterized concrete

Many factors are known to affect the strength and creep properties of laterized concrete prisms. Those considered in this report include: mix proportion, water/cement ratio, curing ages, grain size ranges, stress level, lateritic soils-river sand variation. Moulds of 50 × 50 × 250 mm high were used for making prism specimens. Four different mix proportions were selected while prism specimens were cast using four different water/cement ratios which were kept constant for each mix proportion. Prism specimen were also made using a constant water/cement ratio with different river sand lateritic soils proportions forming the fine aggregate component of the selected 1:2:4 mix proportion. The results have shown that increase in cement content and decrease in water/cement ratio of laterized concrete prisms bring about increase in the compressive strength obtained. The mix ratio of 1 part lateritic soils plus $\text{1}\text{1}\text{2}$ parts river sand produced a slightly higher strength than the conventional concrete grade 20. There is also a corresponding increase in the creep of laterized concrete prisms due to different curing ages and different imposed loads. Both the mix proportion and the grain size ranges affect the creep of laterized concrete prisms differently. Unlike the creep of concrete which shows some definite recovery after unloading, laterized concrete prisms did not show any form of recovery, and there was drastic reduction in the compressive strength of the specimens after unloading.     

中老磨万铁路复杂环境下混凝土力学性能试验研究

为配制满足中老磨万铁路复杂环境下的不同强度等级混凝土,采用老挝产水泥等原材料和中国产减水剂,通过混凝土配合比设计、不同强度指标的力学性能试验,研究了混凝土强度的尺寸效应和粉煤灰单掺掺量对C55混凝土力学性能的影响,确定了中老磨万铁路桥梁用C20～C60混凝土施工配合比.结果表明:按照本文的配合比设计,可以配制出满足中国...     

胶粉掺量对PVA-ECC力学性能与韧性的影响

试验选用7组不同胶粉掺量的配比,测定7组配比的抗压强度、抗折强度与断裂能等指标,探讨不同胶粉掺量对高贝利特硫铝酸盐水泥纤维水泥基复合材料力学性能与韧性的影响。结果表明,随胶粉掺量的增加,纤维水泥基复合材料的抗折强度、极限挠度、弯曲断裂能均逐渐呈先升后降的趋势,胶粉掺量为4%时,韧性达到最佳。与此同时,材料的抗压强度下降明显。由此可知,适当掺量的胶粉有助于材料韧性提升,但对力学性能有明显影响。此外,选定胶粉掺量为1%的配比为最佳配比。     

Mechanical properties of normal and high strength concretes subjected to high temperatures and using image analysis to detect bond deteriorations

The effect of high temperatures, up to 250 °C, on mechanical properties of normal and high strength concretes with and without silica fume was investigated, and image analysis was performed on split concrete surfaces to see the change in bond strength between aggregate and mortar. Specimens were heated up to elevated temperatures (50, 100, 150, 200, 250 °C) without loading and then the residual compressive and splitting tensile strength, as well as the static modulus of elasticity of the specimens were determined. For normal strength concrete residual mechanical properties started to decrease at 100 °C, while using silica fume reduced the losses at high temperatures. In terms of percent residual properties, high strength concrete specimens performed better than normal strength concrete specimens for all heating cycles. Image analysis studies on the split surfaces have been utilized to investigate the effect of high temperatures on the bond strength between aggregate and mortar. Image analysis results showed that reduced water–cement ratio and the use of silica fume improved the bond strength at room temperature, and created more stable bonding at elevated temperatures up to 250 °C.     

铜尾矿对水泥生料易烧性及水泥强度的影响

本文研究了利用铜尾矿全代铁粉和部分取代粘土、石灰石配料时,铜尾矿对水泥生料易烧性及水泥强度的影响。结果表明,利用铜尾矿配料可明显改善生料的易烧性,对水泥强度的影响为早期强度较低,但后期强度较高。     

Effects of elevated temperatures on properties of concrete

Concrete material in structures is likely exposed to high temperatures during fire. The relative properties of concrete after such an exposure are of great importance in terms of the serviceability of buildings. This paper presents the effects of elevated temperatures on the physical and mechanical properties of various concrete mixtures prepared by ordinary Portland cement, crushed limestone, and river gravel. Test samples were subjected to elevated temperatures ranging from 200 to 1200 °C. After exposure, weight losses were determined and then compressive strength test was conducted. Test results indicated that weight of the specimen significantly reduced with an increase in temperature. This reduction was very sharp beyond 800 °C. The effects of water/cement (w/c) ratio and type of aggregate on losses in weight were not found to be significant. The results also revealed that the relative strength of concrete decreased as the exposure temperature increased. The effect of high temperatures on the strength of concrete was more pronounced for concrete mixtures produced by river gravel aggregate. The results of the physical and mechanical tests were also combined with those obtained from differential thermal analysis, and colour image analysis.     

负温混凝土的力学性能及其影响因素的研究

主要研究了水灰比,矿物掺合料,外加剂及预养制度对负温混凝土抗压强度、抗折强度、轴心抗压强度和静弹性模量的影响。结果表明:负温混凝土-7+28d的各项力学性能的损失率随水灰比的增大而增加。防冻剂和引气剂可以有效地降低混凝土-7+28d的上述各项力学性能损失率,同引气剂相比防冻剂更有效;除抗压强度外,粉煤灰和矿渣对混凝土的-7+28d的各项力学性能不利;经48h预养后所有配合比混凝土的力学性能损失率均显著减小,预养时间对负温混凝土的力学性能的影响要比水灰比、引气剂、防冻剂、矿渣及粉煤灰明显;同其他三种力学性能相比,负温混凝土的轴心抗压强度损失率明显较大。     

Strength reduction factors for structural rubbercrete

Many researches have been carried out to study the fresh and hardened properties of concrete containing crumb rubber as replacement to fine aggregate by volume, yet there is no specific guideline has been developed on the mix design of the rubbercrete. The experimental program, which has been developed and reported in this paper, is designed and executed to provide such mix design guidelines. A total of 45 concrete mixes with three different water to cement ratio (0.41, 0.57 and 0.68) were cast and tested for fresh and mechanical properties of rubbercrete such as slump, air content, unit weight, compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity. Influence of mix design parameters such as percentage of crumb rubber replacement, cement content, water content, fine aggregate content, and coarse aggregate content were investigated. Three levels of slump value (for conventional concrete mixes) has been selected; low, medium and high slump. In each slump level, water content was kept constant. Equations for the reduction factors (RFs) for compressive strength, flexural strength, splitting tensile strength and modulus of elasticity have been developed. These RFs can be used to design rubbercrete mixes based on the conventional mix (0% crumb rubber content)     

CDW recycled aggregate renderings: Part I – Analysis of the effect of materials finer than 75 μm on mortar properties

Experience shows that renderings produced with natural sands or construction and demolition waste (CDW) recycled aggregates could have a tendency to poor performance, due primarily to the variable quality of the sands, the absence of a well established mix design method for mortars, and other factors such as façade design, substrate quality and the placement technique. This paper focuses some of those factors, particularly the effectiveness of a mix design method for the control and analysis of the influence of the recycled aggregate composition on the properties of mortars and renderings performance. The leveling time of renderings was also studied. The mix ratio of Portland cement, natural fine sand and laboratory recycled sands – from ceramic blocks, concrete bricks and milled mortar – was defined by a mix design method previously studied. The method takes into account two parameters for the mix design of mortars: the “aggregates and plasticizing materials to cement ratio” and “the total materials finer than 75 μm” in the dry mortar. This study analyzes the effectiveness of the second parameter for the control of the performance of mortars and renderings. In Part I, results show how the geology of the river and CDW recycled sands and the “total material finer than 75 μm” parameter can be correlated in order to explain the properties of mortars, as the cement content is kept constant. The variations in water requirement and physical and mechanical properties of mortars were analyzed, namely drying shrinkage, compressive strength, tensile strength and compressive elastic modulus. The performance of the renderings will be discussed in Part II of this paper.     

Mechanische Hochtemperatureigenschaften von flugaschebasierten Geopolymerbetonen

Mechanical properties of fly ash‐based geopolymer concretes at high temperature At present, concretes based on alkali‐activated binders, so‐called geopolymer concretes, are investigated intensively in the building materials industry and by the research community as environmentally friendly alternative to Portland cement‐based concretes. These inorganic binders, which are based on industrial by‐products such as fly ash and ground granulated blast furnace slag, exhibit high resistance against corrosive acids and salts, if properly designed. The mechanical properties of fly ash‐based geopolymer concretes at high temperatures are subject of systematic investigations at the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und ‐prüfung (BAM) to create a basis for the structural design of fire exposed concrete members based on alkali‐activated binders. The concrete specimens, produced with quartz aggregates or lightweight aggregates and heated to a maximum temperature of 750 °C, exhibited a decrease of compressive strength up to temperatures of ca. 300 °C, attributed to formation of microcracks caused by dehydration. At higher temperatures the compressive strength of the investigated geopolymer concretes recovered partly, due to sintering processes starting from ca. 500 °C. Because of this beneficial property when compared to conventional concretes, geopolymer concretes can potentially be applied in infrastructure facilities where fire resistance is critical. From the results of the thermomechanical tests stress‐strain relationships are derived that can be used for the structural design of members made from geopolymer concretes.     

改善高塑性有机质红黏土强度试验研究

桂林石灰岩地区其基岩面处的红黏土常处于高塑性状态,含有机质时其强度低。通过对高塑性有机质红黏土的加固试验,研究其在有无外加高效减水剂的情况下,水泥掺量、养护时间及水灰比对其无侧限强度的影响。试验表明:高塑性有机质红黏土在水泥加固条件下,其无侧限抗压强度会随着水泥掺量及养护时间的增加而增加,随着水灰比的提高而减小;高效减水剂能明显提高和改善高塑性有机质红黏土的强度力学性质。该试验研究可为红黏土地区的水泥土加固优化设计及施工提供科学依据,以满足实际工程的需要。     

大足石窟岩体补强材料初步研究

本文简略介绍了著名的四川大足石窟的受损情况，并就其中岩体局部断裂采用的修补材料与方法进行了试验。试验中用有机。无机材料对水泥进行改性，配制了不同配比的修补材料并进行筛选。试验结果表明：用环氧树脂、聚丙稀和ＥＶＡ乳液加入水泥浆或砂浆，可改善它们的力学性质，特别是抗折强度。用这些材料来粘结在大足所采集的石材试件，也取得了较好的结果。文中根据所得结果对大足石窟裂缝修补提出了建议。     

冻结深井用C100高强高性能混凝土基本力学性能及机理研究

从混凝土拌合物和硬化混凝土2个方面研究了C100高强高性能混凝土的力学性能,采用XRD、SEM以及MIP等微观研究方法,分析了C100高强高性能混凝土与普通混凝土相比力学性能得到改善的微观机制。结果表明:矿物掺合料对C100混凝土的力学性能有较大影响,原因是掺合料与水泥水化产物发生了"二次水化"反应,增加了混凝土中C-S-H凝胶的含量;C100混凝土的泊松比为0.20～0.24,抗压弹性模量约为50 GPa,抗拉弹性模量约为110 GPa。     

Optimizing the compressive strength of concrete containing micro-silica,nano-silica,and polypropylene fibers using extreme vertices mixture design

Many studies have evaluated the effects of additives such as nano-silica (NS), micro-silica (MS) and polymer fibers on optimizing the mechanical properties of concrete, such as compressive strength. Nowadays, with progress in cement industry provides, it has become possible to produce cement type I with strength classes of 32.5, 42.5, and 52.5 MPa. On the one hand, the microstructure of cement has changed, and modified by NS, MS, and polymers; therefore it is very important to determine the optimal percentage of each additives for those CSCs. In this study, 12 mix designs containing different percentages of MS, NS, and polymer fibers in three cement strength classes(CSCs) (32.5, 42.5, and 52.5 MPa) were designed and constructed based on the mixture method. Results indicated the sensitivity of each CSCs can be different on the NS or MS in compressive strength of concrete. Consequently, strength classes have a significant effect on the amount of MS and NS in mix design of concrete. While, polymer fibers don’t have significant effect in compressive strength considering CSCs.     

The properties of concrete made with fine dune sand

This paper presents the results of a study that investigated the properties of concrete made with dune sand. Different control concrete mixtures using ordinary Portland cement (OPC) with a minimum design compressive strength of 40 N/mm² were prepared. The amount of fine aggregates constituted about 36% by weight of all the aggregates. The workability ranged from low of 16 mm to a high of 122 mm. For each control mix, other mixtures were prepared in which the fine aggregates were replaced by different percentages of dune sand ranging from 10% to 100%. The effect of dune sand on the workability, compressive strength, tensile strength, modulus of elasticity and initial surface absorption test (ISAT) was studied. Experimental results show an improvement in the workability of concrete when fine aggregates were partially replaced by dune sand. An increase in slump was measured with increase in dune sand content. However, at high dune sand contents (above 50%); the slump starts to decrease with an increase in dune sand. Generally, the strength values decrease with increase in dune sand replacement. The strength loss was not found considerable as the maximum reduction was less than 25% when fine aggregates were fully replaced by dune sand. The absorption characteristics of concrete made with OPC as measured by the (ISAT) generally increased with higher dune sand contents.     

A comparative study of concrete properties using coconut shell and palm kernel shell as coarse aggregates

The high cost of conventional building materials is a major factor affecting housing delivery in Nigeria. This has necessitated research into alternative materials of construction. This paper presents the results of an investigation carried out on the comparative cost analysis and strength characteristics of concrete produced using crushed, granular coconut and palm kernel shells as substitutes for conventional coarse aggregate in gradation of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100%. Two mix ratios (1:1:2 and 1:2:4) were used. A total of 320 cubes of size 100×100×100 mm were cast, tested and their physical and mechanical properties determined. The results of the tests showed that the compressive strength of the concrete decreased as the percentage of the shells increased in the two mix ratios. However, concrete obtained from coconut shells exhibited a higher compressive strength than palm kernel shell concrete in the two mix proportions. The results also indicated cost reduction of 30% and 42% for concrete produced from coconut shells and palm kernel shells, respectively. Considering the strength/economy ratio, it was concluded that coconut shells were more suitable than palm kernel shells when used as substitute for conventional aggregates in concrete production.